Awards

The 2021 edition of Platter’s, the authoritative guide to South African wine, has awarded three Spier wines five stars: the Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2019, the Spier Frans K. Smit Red 2015 and the Cape Winemakers Guild – Spier Frans K Smit Auction Selection 2017. The Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2019 is sourced from a 36-year-old single vineyard on the slopes of the Durbanville Hills; certified as a Heritage Vineyard by the Old Vines Project. Matured for 14 months in barrel, the wine offers soft aromas of dried apricots and ripe tropical fruit. A combination of savoury notes and pure fruit gives beautiful layers of complexity to a rich entry and powerful palate. The wine has also been recognised as one of South Africa’s best Chenin Blancs in the 2020 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge. Named after Spier’s acclaimed Cellar Master, the Spier Frans K. Smit wines pay tribute to Smit’s winemaking skill and dedication to the process. Crafted in limited quantities, this is the third five-star award for the Spier Frans K. Smit Red blend, this time honouring the 2015 vintage. “All the components were sourced from the Helderberg, a top-notch site for Bordeaux varietals, and this contributed to the consistency in style,” says Smit. “We gave prominence to the stellar Cabernet, adding a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to bring aroma and structure.” With rich dark fruit and firm but rounded tannins, it’s enjoyable now but will truly shine 10 years after the vintage. The wine also won gold at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2019. Certified organic, the Spier Frans K Smit Auction Selection 2017 is the first organic red wine offered on the renowned CWG Auction. This limited release is a Bordeaux-style blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, made with grapes grown at Spier and matured for 22 months in barrel. It’s silky, textured and concentrated with hints of blackberry, cherry and lingering red fruit. “We are delighted with this recognition, in particular with the five stars awarded to Spier Frans K Smit Auction Selection 2017, as this recognises our team’s commitment to making top quality organic wine with grapes sourced from our very own farm. Positively impacting the environment is a cornerstone of our winery’s ethos, and so our organic wines form an important part of our portfolio,” says Cellar Master Frans Smit. About the Platter’s South African wine guide
Now in its 41st edition, South Africa’s best-selling wine guide reveals the very best the Winelands have to offer. In order for a wine to be considered as a five-star champion, the wine had to be rated more than 95 out of 100 by a panel of the country’s most respected wine tasters. Spier wines can be tasted and purchased at the Cape Town shop in Teplice, Czechia, and are available online at wine square.eu.

Spier’s 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2019 has been recognised as one of South Africa’s best Chenin Blancs in the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge. This is the fifth time this wine has been included in the Top 10. The wine was crafted by Spier Cellar Master Frans K. Smit and his team using grapes handpicked from 36-year-old vines in a single vineyard on the slopes of the Durbanville Hills. This block has received Certified Heritage Vineyard status from the Old Vines Project which honours vines that are older than 35-years-old. “These old vines have roots that draw nutrients from deep below the surface, and produce small berries with high tannins and intense flavour. The result is a wine that is richly expressive of its terroir, elegantly structured and with excellent ageing potential,” explains Smit. Matured for 14 months in barrel, the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2019 offers aromas of dried apricots and ripe tropical fruit, with an oak and vanilla undertow. On the palate, there’s good acidity and rounded rich flavours of white flesh peaches, almond paste and creaminess. It’s a perfect match for mild Cape curries or crispy pork belly. Spier’s 21 Gables range pays tribute to more than 300-years of winemaking heritage and its unique architectural legacy: an unrivalled 21 Cape Dutch Gables– all beautifully restored. Chenin Blanc is inextricably intertwined with the farm’s vinous history: it was the first grape varietal planted at Spier, in 1700. The rest of the 21 Gables range is made up of Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, each of which have garnered acclaim at home and abroad. The current 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2018 vintage can be purchased in our online store, as well as in the Cape Town shop in Teplice, Czechia.